Spring Things

It's time to hang the oriole feeder.  I always choose April 28th as the date to hang it, since the orioles begin to enter our area about May 1st.  This way, they'll be attracted to the feeder and stick around for the summer.  

The feeder is filled with homemade nectar -- one cup sugar dissolved in 4 cups water.  I've added oranges to the prongs on the top of the feeder and grape jelly in the outer wells.  Gray catbirds also love the grape jelly!

The daffodils, crocus and hyacinths are flowering and the rhubarb that I transplanted last year from another area of the garden is doing well in its new location.

Rhubarb

Early Bloomers

hyacinths among the daffodils and budding tulips

The hyacinths are blooming and their fragrance fills the air.  One of the fun things about a perennial garden is anticipating the next flowers to bloom throughout the season.  The pink and red primroses are flowering, too.

primrose

primrose

Golden Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils

William Wordsworth